The House will come to order. Thank you, Mr. Ningark. Good afternoon. I would also like to thank Mr. Ningark for acting in my place for the last two days.

Orders of the day, item 2, Ministers' statements. Mr. Arlooktoo.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise Members that the Honourable Stephen Kakfwi will be absent from the House today to attend Rendezvous Canada, 1996, in Edmonton. Thank you.

Thank you. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Mrs. Thompson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's nice to have you back. Mr. Speaker, as you are aware, the Status of Women Council is an agency of this government and has a legislated mandate to work towards the equality of all women in the NWT. It provides advice to the GNWT, conducts research, public education, and advocacy on behalf of women. It also provides assistance to women's groups.

Through its community worker, the council has helped community groups in every constituency and almost every community. Workshops requested by communities have included board development, self-esteem, effective parenting, family violence and sexual assault, women's health issues and child sexual abuse.

In the past five years, the council has been able to access an increasing number of dollars from funding programs outside the NWT, to add to the core funding provided by this government. Last year, for each dollar of core funding, it raised an additional dollar for programs and projects to benefit women, children and families.

This does not include the additional funding obtained by community groups as a result of council assistance, including research and proposal writing. In the past five years, the council has done research, lobbying, public education and a wide range of practical initiatives in the following areas: family violence, justice, individual and community wellness, child care, education and employment, the environment and community development.

Mr. Speaker, I'm pleased to advise you that the six-member Status of Women Council board was in Yellowknife last week for three intensive days of strategic planning for the next three years. It developed a vision that equality is based on healthy families and communities where women's traditional role as nurturers, advisors and teachers is respected and recognized as a valuable resource to all members of the community.

The Status of Women Council's vision recognizes the need for communities, families and women to be united and to work together. If this happens, we will have a healthy, productive northern society which respects everyone's differences.

The council will now begin developing a detailed workplan to set priorities and outline the next steps to realize its vision. This will be done through developing practical initiatives in four key areas: education and training; wellness, with a focus on prevention health and treatment; community and individual empowerment; and, women in leadership.

Some initiatives the council intends to work on include developing community-based resources, facilities and peer counsellors to support community wellness initiatives; developing economic initiatives for both the council and northern women; designing initiatives to encourage women to become leaders in business, government and politics; and, expanding on past initiatives in community wellness, family violence and sexual assault, alcohol and drugs, education on equality, child care, western NWT political development and justice.

The Status of Women Council recognizes that it can be both a resource and an ally through creative and cooperative partnerships with businesses, government, aboriginal women's and community organizations.

Mr. Speaker, I command the council, its board and staff for their hard work to date, and I encourage this Assembly's support for their vision and for their initiatives in the coming year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--- Applause

Thank you, Mrs. Thompson. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Picco.

Mr. Speaker, over the past few days, I have spent a lot of time soul-searching for the elusive answer to a most-important question. Mr. Speaker, when the fogshrouded veil was lifted, the answer appeared to me like a thunderbolt from the mighty hand of Thor. When you bring a collective of 24 people together without a party structure, allegiances are made from common ground or geography. This appears to be the case in this Assembly. I have no problems with this, Mr. Speaker, but sometimes the Borg collective takes over.

Mr. Speaker, the Borg collective controls the thought patterns and sometimes interrupts independent thought practices. I've been trying to resist the Borg collective but, Mr. Speaker, because of Thor's thunderbolt, I can see now that in some cases the Borg collective is not necessarily a bad thing.

--- Laughter

Mr. Speaker, consensus government allows independence of thought and ideas. Although the collective is at work, I think that this has been evident this past week. 1, for one, am thankful for this. Qujannamiik, Uqaqtii.

--- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Picco. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you. The Member for Thebacha is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. Conclude your statement, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Item 3, Members' statement. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have a return to an oral question asked by Mr. Ootes on May 7th, with respect to the transfer of occupational health and safety to WCB.

Fines imposed by the inspectors under the Explosives Use Act, the Mine Health and Safety Act and the Safety Act shall, when collected, be paid over to the Workers' Compensation Board and form part of the accident fund established under the Workers' Compensation Act.

The revenue from these penalties will not come back to the Government of the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

Thank you. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Arlooktoo.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize Les Clegg, a very long-time employee of the Government of the Northwest Territories.

--- Applause

Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. That was easy. Item 6, oral questions. Mr. Miltenberger.

Minister responsible for the Financial Management Board, Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I believe I had indicated earlier, in our last sitting, that we are endeavouring to table this very important affirmative action report during this session. I believe that's still our objective. I will check with my deputy minister on this issue, and try to ensure that this important report and study is tabled before the end of this session. Thank you.

Item 6, oral questions. Mr. O'Brien.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question today is to the Minister of Health and Social Services. Mr. Speaker, I'm referring to a document we received today from the Yellowknife Women's Centre. This letter stated that their organization received five complaints from Inuit and aboriginal and Metis people who have been denied social assistance or income support over a three-month period since they returned to their place of birth. Would the Minister inform this House as to his knowledge, if any, of these allegations and whether or not residents born in the Northwest Territories have to put up with this type of treatment? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I believe the question is in respect to social assistance. As such, the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment is responsible for income reform. Thank you.

Thank you. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Dent.